Our public services must be secular

May 11th, 2007

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has responded to the Government’s proposals for welfare reform and has set out its objections to religious organisations as publicly-funded welfare providers.

Drawing on recommendations made in an independent report by David Freud, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed a radical reform of welfare, which would marketise the employment and welfare service, contracting out supply of most welfare services to private and third sector organisations. The DWP has expressed its desire to include religious organisations as new suppliers of welfare.

BHA Public Affairs Officer Naomi Phillips said, ‘We find the Government’s aim to increase greatly the number of religious organisations in the supply of welfare extremely troubling and we think that doing so will be detrimental for both service users and employees. All public services, funded by the tax payer, should be open and accessible to all, and be provided on a non-discriminatory basis. Increasing the number and influence of religious providers in particular will jeopardise these principles.

‘Reform of the welfare and employment service is just one part of the dramatic cross-Departmental reform agenda the Government has planned for nearly all public services, including many health care services, the prison and probation services, social housing, extended schools and child care. These are areas which the BHA will be investigating over the coming months.’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) represents and supports the non-religious and campaigns for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief. It is the largest organisation in the UK working for a secular society.

Our Campaigns

We want a country where institutions such as Parliament are separate from religious organisations, and everyone is treated equally, regardless of their beliefs.

Equality & Human Rights

As humanists, we support the right of every person to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be allowed to speak, and believe, as they wish.

Bishops in the House of Lords

26 Church of England Bishops sit as of right in the House of Lords, amending legislation. This unique privilege is unfair, unjustified and unpopular.

Assisted Dying

We believe individuals should have a right to decide to end their life if they are suffering, and that relatives and doctors should be able to assist that person.

Pseudoscience

NHS funding is spent on homeopathy, despite no evidence that it has health benefits beyond the placebo effect. This could be spent on other treatment.

Animal Welfare

UK law requires that animals killed for food are stunned before slaughter, as this is the most humane method – except with religious slaughter such as kosher and some halal, where there are exemptions.